Vanderbilt University Percussion Studio

Anyone who knows Westwood, our four seniors, knows that they have been a strong backbone for VPG throughout their time at Vanderbilt. Through their dedication, hard work, and leadership, they have shown a love for our program that is unlike no other. We want to congratulate them on all of their accomplishments as we celebrate the powerful impact they have made. Thank you, Westwood! You will be dearly missed! 🖤💛

Congratulations to our four seniors, Riley, Alex, Matthew, and Sarang, who will be graduating from Vanderbilt this Friday!

Riley will be attending the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami to pursue a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance.

Alex will serve as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance.

Matthew will stay in the Nashville area to work full-time as a Communications Specialist for the Nashville Symphony.

Sarang will also serve as a Graduate Assistant, attending the Eastman School of Music to pursue a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance.

We are so proud of our seniors and can’t wait to follow along with their journeys from here! VPG has been so lucky to have you. 😉

There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal with friends to celebrate the end of a successful school year. The studio got together to make dumplings, eat Korean food made by our very own professors, play games, and enjoy some s’mores in the backyard. Now onto a well-deserved summer!

Finishing the year strong with two outstanding student recitals tomorrow in Turner Hall!

Jordan kicks us off at 12:30 PM with a junior recital program that features works by Klatzow, Séjourné, and more!

After an afternoon nap and dinner break, head on back to Turner for Riley Hale's senior recital, "Wind Across Mountains," at 5:30 PM featuring works by Abe, Ignatowicz, and more!

We hope you'll join us in celebrating these amazing musicians, either in person or online at vu.edu/livestream.

Last week, we had the privilege of learning from Vanderbilt Percussion alum Dr. Tony Kirk, currently a teaching fellow at Bard College. We received meaningful feedback in private lessons and were fortunate to hear some of his research on practice strategies in studio class. It's always a pleasure to welcome members of our VPG family back to Nashville!

She's so much more than just our professor; she's also our fearless advocate, wise mentor, bold vision caster, and our greatest musical and personal inspiration.

We're proud to share that Associate Professor of Percussion JiHye Jung has won the 2026 Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

This award is a student-nominated award that recognizes one faculty member for outstanding teaching, be it in the classroom, the lab, in the field, or abroad. Established by the Board of Trust in 1964 and supported by Living Endowment funds contributed by alumni, the Madison Sarratt Prize is just one of two student-nominated teaching awards, making it one of the most meaningful honors a faculty member can receive at Vanderbilt.

Congratulations, Ji Hye! ⚓⬇

Some stills from our concert on Sunday! 🎶 Thanks to all who spent the afternoon with us.

📸: .reeves19